A Century of AMC Chapters

Courtesy of AMC Library & ArchivesTwo early-1920s photos of AMC chapters show New York (left) and Worcester (right) members in New Hampshire.

From the club’s founding in 1876, AMC’s early membership was concentrated in the Boston area. To communicate with members farther afield, AMC maintained a Committee on Distant Membership. But interest in AMC’s core mission—recreation and conservation—was growing.

By 1904, an informal group of New York City-based members had assembled, and in 1912 they were officially recognized as the “New York Section.” A few years later, and closer to AMC’s home base, a group in Worcester, Mass., began meeting. In response, the Committee on Distant Membership adopted a plan in June 1918 to create official regional chapters. The New York Section became the New York Chapter (and, in 1983, expanded into the New York–North Jersey Chapter), and the Worcester Chapter was established. From that foundation grew the AMC chapter system that celebrates its centennial this year.